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Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Pharmacists:
Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
---|---|---|---|---|
325,480 | 0.8 % | $ 62.22 | $ 129,410 | 0.5 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Pharmacists:
Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hourly Wage | $ 38.44 | $ 59.14 | $ 63.82 | $ 71.04 | $ 78.96 |
Annual Wage (2) | $ 79,950 | $ 123,020 | $ 132,750 | $ 147,750 | $ 164,230 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Pharmacists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Pharmacists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Pharmacists:
Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Health and Personal Care Retailers | 139,030 | 12.69 | $ 59.04 | $ 122,790 |
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 82,970 | 1.48 | $ 66.67 | $ 138,670 |
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | 23,600 | 0.79 | $ 57.37 | $ 119,340 |
General Merchandise Retailers | 19,950 | 0.62 | $ 65.10 | $ 135,420 |
Outpatient Care Centers | 7,570 | 0.74 | $ 74.89 | $ 155,770 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Pharmacists:
Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Health and Personal Care Retailers | 139,030 | 12.69 | $ 59.04 | $ 122,790 |
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | 6,950 | 1.79 | $ 63.71 | $ 132,520 |
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 4,270 | 1.58 | $ 64.75 | $ 134,680 |
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 82,970 | 1.48 | $ 66.67 | $ 138,670 |
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | 23,600 | 0.79 | $ 57.37 | $ 119,340 |
Top paying industries for Pharmacists:
Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | (8) | (8) | $ 75.84 | $ 157,750 |
Outpatient Care Centers | 7,570 | 0.74 | $ 74.89 | $ 155,770 |
Scientific Research and Development Services | 420 | 0.05 | $ 74.29 | $ 154,510 |
Warehousing and Storage | 90 | (7) | $ 71.49 | $ 148,710 |
Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,670 | 0.10 | $ 70.00 | $ 145,590 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Pharmacists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Pharmacists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Pharmacists:
State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
California | 34,100 | 1.93 | 0.88 | $ 72.73 | $ 151,280 |
Texas | 23,600 | 1.82 | 0.83 | $ 62.64 | $ 130,280 |
Florida | 22,420 | 2.43 | 1.11 | $ 58.44 | $ 121,560 |
New York | 19,930 | 2.19 | 0.99 | $ 62.84 | $ 130,700 |
Pennsylvania | 15,190 | 2.62 | 1.19 | $ 60.48 | $ 125,790 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacists:
State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Virginia | 2,360 | 3.48 | 1.58 | $ 57.21 | $ 119,000 |
Mississippi | 3,220 | 2.85 | 1.29 | $ 58.59 | $ 121,860 |
Alabama | 5,650 | 2.82 | 1.28 | $ 60.49 | $ 125,820 |
Kentucky | 5,320 | 2.80 | 1.27 | $ 61.26 | $ 127,410 |
South Dakota | 1,220 | 2.80 | 1.27 | $ 61.73 | $ 128,390 |
Top paying states for Pharmacists:
State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
California | 34,100 | 1.93 | 0.88 | $ 72.73 | $ 151,280 |
Alaska | 520 | 1.68 | 0.76 | $ 70.39 | $ 146,400 |
Oregon | 3,660 | 1.93 | 0.88 | $ 68.00 | $ 141,440 |
Washington | 7,150 | 2.10 | 0.95 | $ 66.63 | $ 138,580 |
Minnesota | 6,630 | 2.35 | 1.07 | $ 65.84 | $ 136,950 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Pharmacists:
Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 20,410 | 2.22 | 1.01 | $ 63.79 | $ 132,690 |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 12,740 | 2.09 | 0.95 | $ 69.55 | $ 144,660 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 9,690 | 2.19 | 1.00 | $ 60.81 | $ 126,480 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 7,050 | 2.55 | 1.16 | $ 62.13 | $ 129,230 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,620 | 1.74 | 0.79 | $ 62.35 | $ 129,690 |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 6,230 | 2.04 | 0.93 | $ 64.07 | $ 133,260 |
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,190 | 2.36 | 1.07 | $ 60.19 | $ 125,190 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 5,880 | 2.16 | 0.98 | $ 61.26 | $ 127,410 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 5,740 | 2.58 | 1.17 | $ 61.57 | $ 128,070 |
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | 5,530 | 2.04 | 0.93 | $ 60.83 | $ 126,520 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacists:
Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Morgantown, WV | 430 | 6.73 | 3.06 | $ 51.88 | $ 107,910 |
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 230 | 5.71 | 2.60 | $ 58.67 | $ 122,040 |
Rochester, MN | 630 | 5.37 | 2.44 | $ 70.75 | $ 147,150 |
Iowa City, IA | 370 | 4.12 | 1.87 | $ 58.40 | $ 121,460 |
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 490 | 3.86 | 1.75 | $ 56.59 | $ 117,710 |
Beckley, WV | 150 | 3.79 | 1.72 | $ 55.26 | $ 114,940 |
Springfield, IL | 380 | 3.78 | 1.72 | $ 59.69 | $ 124,140 |
Lexington-Fayette, KY | 1,010 | 3.76 | 1.71 | $ 58.23 | $ 121,110 |
Fargo, ND-MN | 520 | 3.74 | 1.70 | $ 58.24 | $ 121,150 |
Charleston, WV | 370 | 3.70 | 1.68 | $ 55.08 | $ 114,570 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Pharmacists:
Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,670 | 1.49 | 0.67 | $ 83.98 | $ 174,670 |
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 460 | 3.36 | 1.52 | $ 80.80 | $ 168,070 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 4,370 | 1.83 | 0.83 | $ 80.66 | $ 167,770 |
Napa, CA | 130 | 1.77 | 0.81 | $ 79.64 | $ 165,640 |
Santa Rosa, CA | 340 | 1.67 | 0.76 | $ 78.13 | $ 162,500 |
Fairbanks, AK | 40 | 1.23 | 0.56 | $ 76.66 | $ 159,440 |
Madera, CA | 110 | 2.19 | 0.99 | $ 74.34 | $ 154,640 |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 200 | 2.07 | 0.94 | $ 73.87 | $ 153,650 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 330 | 1.61 | 0.73 | $ 73.27 | $ 152,400 |
Chico, CA | 200 | 2.61 | 1.19 | $ 72.77 | $ 151,370 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Pharmacists:
Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 810 | 2.10 | 0.96 | $ 61.02 | $ 126,920 |
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 610 | 2.34 | 1.06 | $ 59.80 | $ 124,390 |
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | 600 | 1.87 | 0.85 | $ 58.20 | $ 121,060 |
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 580 | 2.37 | 1.08 | $ 59.08 | $ 122,890 |
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 570 | 2.53 | 1.15 | $ 57.11 | $ 118,780 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacists:
Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 530 | 5.45 | 2.48 | $ 61.72 | $ 128,370 |
West Montana nonmetropolitan area | 270 | 3.38 | 1.53 | $ 60.09 | $ 124,990 |
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | 220 | 3.31 | 1.50 | $ 55.92 | $ 116,310 |
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 540 | 3.24 | 1.47 | $ 59.67 | $ 124,110 |
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | 350 | 3.14 | 1.43 | $ 57.39 | $ 119,360 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Pharmacists:
Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 210 | 2.09 | 0.95 | $ 73.58 | $ 153,050 |
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 110 | 1.83 | 0.83 | $ 71.77 | $ 149,290 |
Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 1.61 | 0.73 | $ 71.44 | $ 148,590 |
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 2.23 | 1.02 | $ 69.95 | $ 145,500 |
Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 1.55 | 0.71 | $ 69.23 | $ 144,000 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023